Papal and Vatican Statements

The Holy See (the Vatican) advocates on behalf of all life, including the condemned. On this page, you can Below is a list of recent papal statements relating to Catholic teaching on the death penalty.

After an audience with Pope Francis earlier this year, and following his approval, the Vatican’s CDF says it has made changes to the CCC on the death penalty according to which capital punishment is inadmissible.

"Thank you, Lord, for the witness of those who inflicted suffering and who ask for forgiveness; for the witness of those who suffered unjustly and who forgive. This is only possible with your help and presence… this is already a great sign of your desire to restore peace and harmony in this land of Colombia."

On Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018 Pope Francis' General Audience highlighted the role of sin in violating our relationship with God and neighbor alike. "Sin breaks: it breaks the relationship with God and it breaks the relationship with brethren, the relationship in the family, in society and in the community: Sin always breaks, separates, divides." Restorative justice emphasizes the call repair relationships broken by harm and wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, while speaking on the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis chose to make an unequivocal statement: The death penalty... "is, in itself, contrary to the Gospel" and that it "heavily wounds human dignity."

CMN’s Mercy in Action Project seeks to promote clemency for those facing imminent execution. By joining the Mercy in Action Project you will receive monthly alerts with information on upcoming executions and tools to advocate for clemency in those cases as well as prayerful resources. Join us as we save lives on death row! The Mercy in Action Project is being partially supported by a grant from The Consistent Life Network, an international pro-life, pro-peace coalition.